3T MRI Facility

Equipments Details

Description

The Social Life and Engineering Science Imaging Center (SLEIC) houses a Siemens 3T Magnetom Prisma Fit whole body MRI scanner with a full set of head, body, knee, ankle, spine, and breast imaging coils. The newly installed scanner is equipped with state-of-the-art XR 80 mT/m / 200 T/m/s gradient system with parallel transmit capabilities. The scanner includes a 20-channel head coil, and a 64-channel head and neck coil. The imaging suite is equipped with a 1024x768 pixel MR-compatible projector with rear projection screen, two four-button fiber optic response boxes from Creative Technologies, two two-button fiber optic response grips from Nordic Neurolabs, and a joystick from Creative Technologies. SLEIC also maintains physiological recording equipment to enable collection of breathing rate, pulse oxygen, and the electrocardiogram, and an olfactometer. Our olfactometer system comes with a fully featured paradigm designer and 6 channel odorant carrier to adjust the device behavior to the experimental design needs. SLEIC is also equipped with the VisuaStim digital goggles & headphones in conjunction with the MReyetracking from Resonance Technologies for the audio-visual stimulation. The VisuaStim & MReyetracking combines 2D/3D high-resolution digital video and high-quality sound with the tracking of eye movement. SLEIC also maintains a second long-range optics eye tracker and an MRI compatible video camera system. The long-range optics eye tracker system uses ASL bright pupil technology and can be positioned 12 feet from the bore.
Space
Space associated with the 3T MRI facility consists of a 1,000 sq ft imaging suite including a magnet room, control room, waiting room, and simulator room (including a full scale MRI mock/simulator and presentation computer); a 200 sq ft waiting room and interview room; and a 300 sq ft office/file server/conference room suite. The 3T facility also maintains site licenses for E-Prime and Matlab software for use with the open source Psychophysics Toolbox and related packages. SLEIC has staff dedicated to supporting imaging research: 1.5 FTE MR technologists, an MR physicist, a research scientist specializing in statistical analysis and programming, and an administrative coordinator. Additionally, the center offers evening and weekend scheduling hours to facilitate research with pediatric populations.